All posts tagged: Leila Alaoui

Leila Alaoui, the 33-year-old French-Moroccan photographer, died last night as a result of injuries sustained during Friday’s al-Qaeda terrorist attack in Burkina Faso, along with her driver, Mahamadi Ouédraogo, a father of four. Alaoui was working on assignment on women’s rights issues for Amnesty International. The human rights organisation and French culture and communications minister Fleur Pellerin both confirmed her death this morning. Talking to BJP this morning, Yves Traore, Director of Amnesty International Burkina Faso, paid tribute to them both. “Leila was an extraordinary young woman,” Traore said of Alaoui. “We wanted to work with her because of her talent, and her passion for helping women, girls and marginalised people tell their own stories and claim their rights. As a strong woman herself, she wanted to show women as authors of their own destiny, not as victims. We are all devastated by her loss.” Talking of Alaoui’s driver Mahamadi Ouédraogo, Traore said: “Mahamadi was a dedicated, helpful and caring colleague. His warm smile and discretion were a feature of the many Amnesty missions that he accompanied us on over …